Eric C. Fernihough

Eric Fernihough world record holder was killed at an record attempt at Gyon, near Budapest, in Hungary in 1938 on his Brough Superior JAP. His streamlined Brough left the road at high speed, supposedly due to a gust of wind affecting the steering - though theories about the accident abound to this day.

Fernihough reached about 180 mph in 1938 with this machine. He also held the solo flying mile record (163.82 mi/h in 1936), the solo flying kilometre record (169.8 mph in 1937), and the sidecar flying kilometre record (137 mph in 1937).

British motorcyclist Eric C. Fernihough on his Brough Superior motor cycle. Fernihough was killed in Budapest in an attempt to regain the world motorcycle speed record which he lost...perhaps his black cat mascot was a poor choice. Via: Corbis